Scheduled to Open Friday
BOOGEYMAN (PG-13) -- An emotionally fragile young man (Barry Watson) tries to confront the childhood trauma that occurred in his bedroom, where his fears return once again. Directed by Stephen Kay (Get Carter) and co-starring Lucy Lawless and Emily Deschanel.
THE WEDDING DATE (PG-13) -- In order to avoid embarrassment at her sister's wedding, a thirtysomething woman (Debra Messing) hires a male escort (Dermot Mulroney) as her date. This romantic comedy is directed by Clare Kilner (How to Deal) and co-stars Amy Adams, Holland Taylor and Jack Davenport.
Now Showing
ALONE IN THE DARK (PG-13) -- When a detective of various phenomena (Christian Slater) searches for the killer of his friend, his investigation leads him to a spooky island in this film based on the fourth installment of the popular video-game series, directed by Uwe Boll and co-starring Stephen Dorff, Tara Reid and Will Sanderson. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette 9, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, North Shore Square
ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (PG-13) -- C+ It's been proven that large-scale Broadway shows can still be turned into spectacular movies: Chicago and Evita dispelled all doubt. Too bad director Joel Schumacher's version of the Phantom phenomenon is just a ghost of its stage self. The movie is plagued by poor lighting, weird lip-synch issues, and an overall starved visual imagination, although it does have enough great moments (the rising and, later, crashing chandelier comes to mind) to make it a sentimental favorite. Gerard Butler is an amazing Phantom, arguably the best we have seen to date; Emmy Rossum shines as Christine, although probably not enough to merit that Golden Globe nod. Nominated for two Academy Awards. (Carlson) AMC Palace 20, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Prytania
ARE WE THERE YET? (PG) -- Ice Cube attempts to woo Nia Long by driving her kids to Vancouver, but Philip Daniel Bolden and Aleisha Allen believe that no one is good enough for their mom and plot to make the trip a nightmare in this family comedy. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette 9, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (R) -- The lines between good and bad start to blur when besieged cops (led by Ethan Hawke) and precinct inmates join forces on New Year's Eve to beat back a group of hitmen trying to rescue a recently arrested crime boss (Laurence Fishburne) in a remake of John Carpenter's 1976 thriller. American debut by director Jean-Francois Richet, co-starring Gabriel Byrne, Ja Rule, Maria Bello, Brian Dennehy, John Leguizamo and Drea De Matteo. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Causeway 4, Chalmette 9, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Movies 8
THE AVIATOR (R) -- A Martin Scorsese's biography of Howard Hughes offers an award-worthy lead performance by Leonardo DiCaprio in a tale perhaps less interested in factual accuracy than in seeing Hughes as an emblem of American individualism, a brilliant visionary willing to risk a vast personal fortune in pursuit of innovation and excellence, his life a compelling rebuke to an era of insider trading and smug, facile patriotism in the age of Enron and Halliburton. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture. (Barton) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Canal Place, Chalmette 9, Holiday 12, Movies 8
BEYOND THE SEA (PG-13) -- C- This muddled, choppy, limp, cliche-riddled biopic of charismatic singer Bobby Darin would be graded even lower if it hadn't actually featured Darin's songs. Writer, director and star Kevin Spacey, whose odyssey to get this story to the big screen has been well chronicled, fails almost on every level except (maybe) his earnest attempts at singing Darin's classics (³Mac the Knife,² ³Beyond the Sea,² ³Dream Lover,² ³Splish Splash²). And even then, you can hear the off-key notes, the lack of a clear vibrato. (Simmons) AMC Palace 20
CLOSER (R) -- A Adapted from Patrick Marber's play, Mike Nichols' film examines the emotional and sexual entanglements of four young people in contemporary London. Searingly brave performances by Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Jude Law and Clive Owen make this picture particularly memorable. Its theme that many people use ³love² as a defense for self-indulgence rings sadly true. Nominated for two Academy Awards. (Barton) Movies 8
COACH CARTER (PG-13) -- Samuel L. Jackson stars as the real-life high school boys basketball coach Ken Carter who, in 1999, received national attention for sitting every member of his undefeated team for bad grades. Directed by Thomas Carter (Save the Last Dance) and co-starring Ashanti. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette 9, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, North Shore Square
DARKNESS (PG-13) -- Teen Anna Paquin and her family realize the dream cottage they have moved into is haunted in this thriller written and directed by Jaume Balaguero and co-starring Lena Olin and Giancarlo Giannini. Grand
ELEKTRA (PG-13) -- B+ This film should be a disaster, but it's actually one of the most surprisingly successful comic-book movies to date, reminiscent of 1990's Darkman in its fidelity to form and feel. Alias' Jennifer Garner reprises her Daredevil role as the scarlet-clad, ass-kicking assassin in a simply told, efficient tale that seems straight off the page. Director Rob Bowman (X-Files) and screenwriters Zak Penn (X2), Stuart Zicherman and Raven Metzner adhere to the inherent discipline of the comic-book dynamic: its spare dialogue, economy of story, fleet rhythms and visual constructs. The result is a three-dimensional experience of a previously two-dimensional world, a cavalcade of perfectly framed snapshots that are a Marvel to behold. (Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand, Holiday 12
FAT ALBERT (PG) -- TV series creator Bill Cosby makes his feature screenwriting debut and Joel Zwick (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) directs a cast of unknowns in this live-action version of Cosby's cartoon show about inner-city youths who learn life's lessons through voiceovers. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette 9, Grand, Holiday 12
FINDING NEVERLAND (PG) -- A- Marc Foster (Monster's Ball) directs Oscar nominee Johnny Depp as author and playwright J.M. Barrie, in this lovely little movie which documents the origins of the Scotsman's most enduring work, Peter Pan. A bighearted, imaginative film from Foster, Neverland is sure to be a classic, especially among those who never want to grow up. Nominated for seven Academy Awards. (Carlson) Chalmette 9
FORCES OF NATURE (NR) -- George Casey's documentary about the study of such natural phenomena as earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes. Directed by Kevin Bacon. Kenner MegaDome
HIDE AND SEEK (R) -- C+ Director John Polson (Swimfan) and first-time screenwriter Ari Schlossberg mostly miss the mark in this Sixth Sense knock-off. Psychologist David Callaway (a too-hammy Robert DeNiro) and daughter Emily (an amazing Dakota Fanning) move to an old house in upstate New York to forget about a family tragedy. This fellow named Charlie, however, has other ideas. Horror movie cliches abound, and the first third of the movie leaves too much time to figure out what's going to happen. Not a total loss, but far from clever. (Carlson) (Reviewed in this issue.) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette 9, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Movies 8
HOTEL RWANDA (PG-13) -- A- Don Cheadle delivers a well-deserved Academy Award-nominated performance in one of the year's best films, a fact-based story about how a Hutu hotel manager (Cheadle) helped save 1,200 lives during the Hutus' genocidal massacre of 700,000 Tutsis and their Hutu sympathizers in a short period of time in 1994. Director Terry George, who previously scripted In the Name of the Father and The Boxer, conveys the violence and horror with deceptively subtle camera work; Cheadle's face does much of the heavy lifting, and he does so with typical panache. Co-stars Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo. Nominated for three Academy Awards. (Simmons) AMC Palace 20
IN GOOD COMPANY (PG-13) -- B Paul Weitz makes his solo directorial debut in this story of an unlikely connection between a whiz-kid business executive (Topher Grace) and the middle-aged man (Dennis Quaid) he's hired to replace. Not everything works, particularly a romance between the young man and the older one's daughter (Scarlett Johansson). But at its best, the picture promotes a hope for the human condition that proceeds from treating others with respect. (Barton) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Holiday 12
THE INCREDIBLES (PG) -- A- Director Brad Bird follows up his animated mini-masterpiece Iron Giant with a CGI mini-masterpiece that depicts a family of superheroes trying to conceal their powers in a witness protection program. Like the best old Marvel comics (especially The Fantastic Four), the film succeeds by combining clever action sequences with fresh humor and honest character development. Nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Animated Feature. (Tisserand) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20
INTO THE DEEP (NR) -- IMAX cameras take a journey through the undersea world. Entergy IMAX
KINSEY (R) -- A- Bill Condon's (Gods and Monsters) biography of seminal sex researcher Alfred Kinsey offers deserved Golden Globe-nominated performances by Liam Neeson and Oscar nominee Laura Linney as Kinsey's wife. The film appropriately views Kinsey as a hero who shined light where darkness had hitherto reigned but also as a complicated and flawed human being sometimes as blind to the spirit as his opponents were to the body. (Barton) Causeway 4
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (PG) -- B The wildly popular children's book series comes rather awkwardly to the big screen, with this debut based on the first three novellas, about three young orphans who get bounced from household to household searching for a permanent home (including the devious Count Olaf's, played by Jim Carrey). Director Brad Silberling works wonders with the moody cinematography and art direction, but clunky editing and a mixed bag of performances from his ensemble cast make this an only partially entertaining work. Daniel Handler adapts from his own material. Nominated for four Academy Awards. (Simmons) AMC Palace 20, Movies 8
THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (R) -- B+ Director Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums) continues to develop and expand his skills while not necessarily making a better film than his previous work in this ³comedic sea adventure² about a fading, Cousteau-like oceanographer (Bill Murray) and his wacky crew out to recapture their past filmmaking glory while dealing with myriad problems. Anderson, like his film's heroes, might be over-reaching a little in this effort, but you cannot help but enjoy his trademark wit, quirky ensemble characters (maybe too many characters this time) and visual underwater splendor courtesy of award-winning animator Henry Selic. Co-stars Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe and Bud Cort. (Simmons) Causeway 4
MEET THE FOCKERS (PG-13) -- Jack (Robert De Niro) and Dina Byrnes (Blythe Danner) meet the parents (Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand) of Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) after Greg marries their daughter (Teri Polo) in this sequel to the hit 2000 comedy, Meet the Parents. Jay Roach returns to direct. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette 9, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Movies 8
MILLION DOLLAR BABY (PG-13) -- Curmudgeonly boxing trainer Clint Eastwood reluctantly takes on, and finds a surrogate daughter in, scrappy boxer Hilary Swank under the watchful eye of gym owner Morgan Freeman in this drama directed by Eastwood and based on F.X. Toole. Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Canal Place, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, North Shore Square
NATIONAL TREASURE (PG) -- C+ Action-flick producer Jerry Bruckheimer's latest stars Nicolas Cage as a man who believes the Founding Fathers hid a vast treasure from the British and planted clues to its whereabouts on our currency and in invisible ink on The Declaration of Independence. Filled with stock chases, the picture is preposterously but cleverly enough plotted for brainless diversion, but it doesn't send you because Cage doesn't dare to take his character to the lunatic fringe. (Barton) AMC Palace 20, Movies 8
OCEAN WONDERLAND 3D (NR) -- The Great Barrier Reef and the Bahamas are explored, with a focus on the diversity of marine and coral life, in this film using new HD digital 3D 1570 cameras. Entergy IMAX
OCEAN'S TWELVE (PG-13) -- C- Steven Soderbergh and his buddy-buddy cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones with cameos from Bruce Willis and Albert Finney, among others, wink and grin through this crime flick with a script that would be lucky to get a passing grade in a screenwriting class. I have little doubt that this inside joke of a flick was a lot more fun to make than to watch. (Barton) AMC Palace 12
RACING STRIPES (PG) -- An abandoned young zebra named Stripes (voice of Frankie Muniz) is rescued by a horse (Bruce Greenwood) and raised on a Kentucky farm with dreams of racing in the Kentucky Derby. Directed by Frederik Du Chau (Quest for Camelot) and starring Bruce Greenwood, with voices provided by Michael Clarke Duncan, Dustin Hoffman, Mandy Moore, Joe Pantoliano and Patrick Stewart. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette 9, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Holiday 12, North Shore Square
RAY (PG-13) -- B+ Taylor Hackford's vibrant if sometimes cliched biopic of American music icon Ray Charles (here portrayed admirably by Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee Jamie Foxx) features a strong ensemble cast, wonderful recreations of Charles performing his greatest hits, and deft use of New Orleans scenery and musicians and actors. Hackford's films have almost always been affairs of the heart, one way or another, and it's a shame the original title, Unchain My Heart, wasn't kept, because this film has plenty of it. Co-stars Kerry Washington, Regina King, Aunjanue Ellis, Richard Schiff, Larenz Tate and New Orleans' own Chris Thomas King. Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture. (Simmons) AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20
SHARKS 3D (NR) -- Jean-Michel Cousteau presents this underwater, 3D look at such famous sharks as the Great White and the Hammerhead. Entergy IMAX
SIDEWAYS (R) -- B+ Sideways, like Alexander Payne's earlier works Election and About Schmidt, is a witty and delightful comedy with more than its share of drama. The loserly Miles (Paul Giamatti) and his aging TV star friend Jack (Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee Thomas Haden Church) take a bachelor-party tour through wine country, in which the fruit of the grape serves as a not-always-subtle metaphor for life. Golden Globe nominee Giamatti does his work well, and his chemistry with Church is a pure comic delight. Weak character development on Payne's part, however, makes you wonder why waitress Virginia Madsen would fall for a guy like Miles. Nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture. (Simmons) Canal Place
VOLCANOES OF THE DEEP SEA -- Actor Ed Harris narrates this look at life 12,000 feet below sea level, including the strange creatures that thrive near underwater volcanoes. Entergy IMAX
WHITE NOISE (R) -- Widower Michael Keaton believes his recently deceased wife is trying reach him from the Great Beyond in this thriller directed by Geoffrey Sax and co-starring Chandra West, Deborah Kara Unger and Ian McNeice. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9, North Shore Square
THE WOODSMAN (R) -- B Kevin Bacon serves up a complex portrayal of a pedophile in this affecting but uneven drama co-written and directed by Nicole Kassell and based on Steven Fechter's stage play. Bacon constantly keeps the viewer waffling between sympathy and disgust, but is at times constrained by Kassell's penchant for obvious symbolism, unnecessarily visual technique and some loose narrative threads. Perhaps more important than good, The Woodsman ultimately offers something to think about. (Simmons) Canal Place
